what do you like to read?

edited December 2004 in The CenterTao Lounge
Ah,... the whole family sleeping in one room. It's not surprising that this seems so weird to American culture, given the virtue we place on independence. I spent 15 years abroad, around the world seven times, living mostly among third world peoples. The level of family connection I saw during those years became my model for how to approach family life when the time came. In fact, throughout human history families have slept together, as do other primate families. Being together as a tribe, whether sleeping or awake, imparts a level of emotional security and stability that has become rare in a modern wealthy cultures such as ours.

Note: The kids are not forced to sleep in the bed room, nor have they ever been forced to do anything. This is part of the magic of living a tribal way. Mutual respect and cooperation come naturally and thus discipline is never needed. The kids can do anything they want including move to another room, house, or country if and when they wish. So far, they appear to derive the utmost pleasure from pitching in and 'sharing the load of life' as a family. How quaint, old-fashioned and weird, eh?
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  • edited December 1969
    Since my names not on these boards enuf (LOL) thought I'd add one more thread: what do you all read, when your nose isn't buried in the tao te ching and such?
    As with music, I have widely varying tastes in books and authors. I always have several dozen by my bedside, some for years at a time before I get to them. I'm at the library almost everyday. I'm addicted.
    My kid and I read nightly, and I've read all the Harry Potter books out loud to him at bedtime last few months (I do a great 'Hagrid'). We're almost done with #5, then we'll probably try 'Peter Pan'. I dont believe theres a difference between kid & adult lit-a good book is a good book.
    I like Biographys (just read Robert Caro's 'Robert Moses'-best political book i've ever read). Andrew Birkin's 'JM Barrie & the Lost Boys' (speaking of Peter Pan), Tim McLaurin's 'Keeper of the Moon', Kathleen Finneran's 'the tender land' (heartbreaking)- David Sedaris and Bill Bryson are the 2 funniest writers working today, and Mark Twains the best all time.
    Some fiction: Tim Mclaurin, John Mortimer's Rumpole books, Alexander McCall Smith's #1 ladies detective agency books are brilliant. Dennis Cooper (creepy)-I cant stand Stephen King.
    Currently reading Christopher Moore, a twisted humorist. Short stories are my favorite all time: Flannery O'Conner, Raymond Carver, JD Salinger. Poetry-John Berryman's Dreamsongs (read them out loud for the best effect) Allen Ginsberg (love all the beats-Jack Keroauc!), Rilke, Auden...
    Whew! I promise I won't make a list of my favorite foods. Now, whats on your nightstand?
  • edited December 1969
    What a reading list ... goodness me.

    Myself, my weekly Science News sits by my bed... and I barely get through that; time just seems to tick away so much faster now. :o
  • edited December 1969
    or I'd NEVER get any reading done-i often wonder what books I'll leave unread when i die...I've always loved to read-prefeered it to play as a child. my thick glasses testify to my devotion to the printed word. but since having my kid around, I barely read a book a week and the newspaper (addicted to the daily news, crap though it is-I'm an old newspaper man, ink in my veins). My goal is to retire in 12 more years, at whicch point my kid will be done with schooling and probably move away, get a trailer at my nudist club and sit out on my porch in the woods all day, feeling the breeze and reading till i die at 115 or so...
  • edited December 1969
    Right now I am reading The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown.
    I always read 'Midwifery Today' Magazine, and different things from the LLL.

    I'm also reading Charlotts Web to my kids.
  • edited December 1969
    - David Sedaris and Bill Bryson are the 2 funniest writers working today, and Mark Twains the best all time.
    Some fiction: Tim Mclaurin, John Mortimer's Rumpole books, Alexander McCall Smith's #1 ladies detective agency books are brilliant. Dennis Cooper (creepy)-I cant stand Stephen King.
    Currently reading Christopher Moore, a twisted humorist.


    Buddy you have made a list that is nearly identical to mine in some ways.
    Love Christopher Moore - but have almost read myself right out of what is available. Have only The Stupidest Angel left. If you enjoy his books you might try Carl Hiaassen. Found an interesting book the other day called Mr. Timothy - about a grown up and struggling Tiny Tim.

    I recently blazed through the Jasper Fforde books - ( The Eyre Affair) and they are just wonderful. Funny and bizarre.
    And a book I found that I can't tell you the author of because it gets loaned out every time it comes in - Vamped. Loved it.
  • edited December 1969
    I've only Hiasson's Hoot-(had a barefoot character in it)-and mr timothy was pretty good. Just got Smith's new 'sunday philosophy club' today, and am 1/2 way thru stupidest angel-pretty wacky...of course thanx to this site, most of my reading time is going towards Taoist books, so my fiction reading will suffer, but it's for a good cause...religion wise, btw, one can do worse than Thomas Merton & Alan Watts
  • edited December 1969
    hehheh, found 'The Tao of Pooh' & 'The Te of Piglet' by Ben Hoff on my shelf-forgot about those...pretty clever and a nice break from the more 'serious' tao studies i'm engaged in recently...
  • edited December 1969
    Margaret Laurence (Diviners)
    Steinbeck (Grapes of Wrath)
    Chrysalis
    Narnia series



    Discover Magazine
    Scientific American Mag
    National Geographic Mag
    Canadian Geographic Mag
    Mother Earth Mag


    Nature books, esp books on sea life
    Textbooks on chemistry, biology, anthro, and art history
    All things relating to Mathematics and its history and psychology and choas
    Post Apocolyptic Literature
    Survival Handbooks
    Science fiction/Fantasy
  • edited December 1969
    halfay thru the 'Tao of Pooh'-also "The Parent's Tao Te Ching' by William Martin, and 'The Parting of the Way' By Holmes Welch
  • edited December 1969
    I'm currently reading a biography of Chester Alan Arthur, our 20 somethingth President (1881-1885).
    That's right, folks, the excitement never stops at buddy's house!

    Seriously, though, it looked like an easy read on a subject about whom I knew nothing, and it's turned out to be pretty interesting.
    Finding out about political appointments, Garfield's assassination (Odie was a suspect for a while), and other lost episodes of American history.

    I recommend everyone should just go to the library, grab a book at random and whatever it may be, read it from cover to cover.
    You're sure to learn something...
  • edited December 1969
    I read mostly SciFi. I love the Dune series, although I think the first three are the best.. the mini-seriees didn't follow the book in places.

    A stranger in a strange place

    Homer (not simpson haha)

    The Greek myths

    Shakespeaare

    Mark Twain

    Edgr Allan Poe

    Charles Dickens
  • edited December 1969
    crap ..forgot to log in again. thats my post above ...
  • edited December 1969
    Reading a book about Bruce Lee's workout-I like him because he was even smaller than me-136 lbs at the height of his fame-just amazing muscles and ability.
    Turns out he really didnt work out that much, not some outrageous amount as you might suspect-did like I do:a wide range of exercises focusing on different parts of the body-not overdoing anything-short reps, small weights...theres hope for me yet.
    This is part of a 12 volume set of writings based on his life and work-and he was only 33 when he died! I'm 5 years older, and I doubt they could get a decent size article from my life...
  • edited December 1969
    I think the mini-series followed the book much more than the movie. Loved the worms. The Fremen of the Children of Dune mini-series didn't have the deep blue eyes like the first one which was dissapointing.
  • edited December 1969
    for me, one of the glaring faux pas of the mini-series was when Chani says "Tell me of your home world, Maud Dib" when in the book it is "Tell me of your home world Usul".

    Usul is Paul's secret seitch name, Maud Dib is his public name. also there were several things out of time line.

    The biggest problem I had with the mini series was the actor that played Paul ... he was way to old. Paul was 15, this guy was late twenty's and looked it. I know it is just a movie, but still.....

    I am into 3D graphics (Rhino, Cinema4D) and really liked the special effects of the mini series. Despite all my bitching about the series, I did get them on DVD, it is Dune after all.

    peace out,
    bob
  • edited December 1969
    I HATE when they cast older people as kids in movies...high schools in shows especially look ridiculous with a bunch of 20 somethings running around...and while I dont like sci fi much, I can appreciate being upset when they change a line from the book. Wish I could come up with an example, but it's 1am and I've only had one cup of coffe-brains not on yet...
  • edited December 1969
    Probably since it was hard for the audience to just even remember Mua'dib, they figured it best to leave out usul to not confuse people. But I did notice that they left it out,

    They shoulda gotten what's-his-name. uhh, who is he? Al decaprio? The guy who was in the Aviator and Titanic. I heard he just turned sixteen.

    I have them on VHS but rather than pay 40 bucks for both, I'll make a DVD out of them. I got a book that was about the Making (or Behind the Scenes) of the miniseries and it came with a DVD of special features so I'll put those on.
  • edited December 1969
    C'mon now, thats Leonardo DiCaprio, and he's finally starting to look his age. near 30 now, I think-really one of the finest actors going. 'This Boy's life' was brilliant-also one of the few times I liked Robert DeNiro- the book is a classic as well, by Tobais Wolff /Woolf, can never remeber how he spells it
    Havent seen 'the Aviator' yet... basically since getting the kid, if it's not a cartoon, i dont get to see it...
    -but I loved Titanic-one of my favorite subjects overall anyway-but if you think i'm freezing my taonuts off in the north atlantic whuile you float on a nice big piece of wood, you dont know me vewy well...
  • edited December 1969
    I read on a message board that the reason they cast that older dude is the producer didn't think a "kid" could pull off being a gawky teen in the first part of the movie and turn into the meissiah toward the end. I think there are young actors that could have pulled it off.

    anyhoo, I like to read books and magazines about 3D as I am into 3D graphics. I use Cinema4D and Rhino. It is really cool to think of somehting, design it and create it in 3D. I guess you could say I am into escapeism.

    oh, did you catch the Star Wars episode III trailer Thursday night ? it was AWESOME !! this isn't the one that has been floating around the net. It has Obi-won screaming to Anakin during their fight "YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE". Also, George Lucas will be on 60 minutes tonight (13th)

    peace out,
    bob
  • edited December 1969
    Tao Te Ching - Lao Tzu (Timothy Freke)
    The Tao of health, sex and longevity - Daniel Reid
    The art of war - Sun Tzu (Thomas Cleary)
    Healing mantras - Thomas Ashley-Farrand
    Animal speak - Ted Andrews
    The dreamthief's daughter - Michael Moorcock
    Green magic - Ann Moura
    The way of the wizard - Deepak Chopra
    Bluefeather's herbal - Randall White
    The portrait of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
    The Gift - Alison Croggon
    Anam cara - John O'Donohue
    Divine beauty - John O'Donohue
    and a lot of books by C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and many more that i'm sure i've forgotten!
  • edited December 1969
    Also, George Lucas will be on 60 minutes tonight (13th)

    We saw that a few days ago (we record it and watch it later) That was an interesting article in a video form. bigger than I thought. That thing about using a complete CGI (I think) sequence in one scene (about 3 seconds long) was pretty neat (you don't hear that word much anymore I notice).

    I semi-recently read Splinter Cell and The Sword and the Mind. Sword/Mind was an interesting book. The only good part (that I could "relate" to) was in the middle where he (the author) talks about the technique. The rest is about psycological stuff. Almost like the Tao Te Qing for somebody who has never Taoed before. Stuff like the sword of no-sword and controlling the opponent's spirit. My eyes kinda glazed over that part.

    Splinter Cell wasn't a bad book. I rather enjoyed it. I'm not sure I'm gonna read it again (probably am) but at a price of 11 bucks, I thought it was worthy of my time. the odd thing about that book is that the cover says "Tom Clancy Splinter Cell" but below it says "written by David Michaels" and I found that odd. I mean if it says Tom Clancy, I would think that's the author but no! The words were sure colorfull but that was the same in the Shogun book.

    The ducks are callin'.
  • edited December 1969
    Everything by Alexander Mccall Smith is worth reading-so well written and relaxing-most fun I've had reading in years. He's the author of the '#1 Ladies Detective Agency' series and other series, as well as childrens books, and scholarly tomes-he's a professor of medical law when he's not writing-real renaissance man-How he finds time to write so much, and so well, is beyond me-i cant even knock out a short story.

    they're making a movie of Hiasson's 'Hoot'-wonder if they'll leave the boy barefoot, or sign an endorsement deal with nike for product placement...

    Also reading a bio of Hetty Green-famous miser, and Bukowski's last diaries.
  • edited December 1969
    not into anything too heavy right now-the episode guide for MST3K-one of my top 10 all time favorite shows...kind of job i should have , writing for one of those type shows-i was into irony long before irony was cool...which reminds me i bought my first ever iron-$6 at wally world-man, its kinda nice not being all wrinkly all the time-but i digress...
  • edited December 1969
    The Celestine prophecy

    If your ment to read it, it will find you?
  • edited December 1969
    The Dune series was wonderful. I especially enjoyed trip Paul and his mother made across the desert with the "thumpers".

    I was very diasappointed with the movie. The cable version was much better but still did not capture the grandeur and majesty of the book. Neither Pauls seemed to fit. Shadout Mapes (if I remember the name correctly) was well cast in the cable version. The "hunter-seeker" scene was well done too.

    Great book.
  • edited December 1969
    Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice by Plotkin.

    This one book greatly influenced my world view.
  • edited December 1969
    chronicles of the tao.

    deng ming dao

    and i like a little clive cussler now and again.
  • edited December 1969
    So, anybody ever read the oz series, or have we all just seen the movie? Thats all i knew until i recently got a roommate who loves the books and turned me onto them-dozens of books, with fascinating chareters, ranging far beyond the judy garland movie...check them out, you wont be sorry, especially if you like fantasy.
  • edited December 1969
    I may be one of the only people who has never read or watched Oz. (but mainly one of the only people who's never watched it)

    However, to make up for that, I've read the Dune series 10 times and watched the miniseries over a baker's-dozen times. ;-)
  • edited December 1969
    Frank Herbert graduated from North Salem High School right here in Oregon's capital-they didnt even realize it until a student did some research a couple years back...
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